By Gergana Krasteva

Copyright metro

Currently, there is only one MAGA fan at Windsor Castle, and a protest against Trump’s state visit is scheduled later today (Picture: Metro)

A single ‘Make America Great Again’ fanatic has already descended on Windsor Castle more than 12 hours before Donald Trump’s arrival in the UK for his controversial second state visit.

Life-sized cutouts of the US president, and of the Princess of Wales, MAGA hats and placards are some of the party favours that Anne, from Cardiff, has brought to welcome him.

Trump’s Air Force One is scheduled to touch down at 8.30pm at Stansted Airport in London.

Simultaneously, a Stop Trump Coalition protest is set to take place outside Windsor Castle, where officers from across the UK are ready to respond to a potential ‘very high threat level’ incident.

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September 16, 2025 10:52 am Who will be missing from the banquet? Gergana Krasteva

Prince Andrew is one of the royals who will be missing from the banquet (Picture: Shutterstock)

Much has shifted within the Royal Family over the last six years amid a change in reign, the occurrence of royal scandal, and the passing of time.Absent will be Prince Andrew, who attended last time but since then was forced to step down from the working monarchy over his close friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.The attending royals have yet to be announced, but at the last state banquet for Trump, there were 16 family members.The Duke of Kent is grieving his wife the Duchess of Kent, whose funeral is taking place today, and Princess Alexandra is now frail and has not attended banquets for several years.Missing too will be Lord Peter Mandelson, who was sacked as US ambassador by Sir Keir Starmer just days before the event, after it emerged he sent supportive messages to sex offender Epstein.Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is boycotting the banquet in a protest against Trump’s position on Gaza.

September 16, 2025 10:33 am In pictures: Security measures ahead of state visit Gergana Krasteva

Police search teams out on the River Thames in Windsor, part of a massive policing operation (Picture: Shutterstock)

Thames Valley Police are out on the streets in Windsor asking visitors and residents to be vigilant and report any concerns to them (Picture: Shutterstock)

Extra police and security measures being put in place for the state visit (Picture: w8media)

Non-police drones have been banned in the area (Picture: w8media)

September 16, 2025 10:15 am British banquet and Royal salute in honour of Trump Gergana Krasteva

Adjustments being made to table decorations for a State Banquet at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Picture: PA)

A red carpet. An extravagant feast. More than 160 quests. A special cocktail.Down to the last detail, every element of the white tie state banquet in St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle will be checked and approved by the King.Trump and the first lady, Melania, will be wined and dined by Charles and Camilla tomorrow.Royal hospitality at its most meticulous and lavish will be deployed in honour of the controversial couple.In a tradition started by His Majesty, a bespoke cocktail will be created specially for the occasion, no doubt celebrating the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US.

Royal hospitality at its most meticulous and lavish will be deployed in honour of the controversial US president (Picture: PA)

For French President Emmanuel Macron’s state dinner, the alcoholic tipple was named L’entente – in a nod to the L’Entente Cordiale – and it combined British gin with lemon curd and French pastis and was garnished with dried French cornflowers and English roses, while the Japanese state visit was honoured with a yuzu marmalade sour, featuring whisky and marmalade and resembling the flag of Japan.Preparations for a state banquet start six months before the big event and it usually takes household staff around three days to lay the table.Guests – who have been invited on the basis of their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the US – will dine on an exquisite menu, written in French, prepared by royal chefs and served on historic, priceless dinner sets.Former US president Barack Obama’s state banquet in 2011 was sprinkled with Hollywood stardust, with a guest list including actor Tom Hanks, actress Helena Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton.But the dinner for Trump’s last state visit in 2019 was more trade and business rather than showbusiness.The King and Queen will head members of the Royal Family, with the Prince of Wales expected to attend, and the Princess of Wales likely, but not yet confirmed, to join him, along with other Windsors.The monarch will be seated next to Trump in the middle of one side of the table, with Melania and Camilla opposite them on the other side.Other royals will be spread around the table between the guests.

September 16, 2025 10:00 am ‘The Beast,’ Trump’s £1,100,000 bulletproof limousine Gergana Krasteva

The latest model of The Beast is extremely secure – with windows built up with more that five layers of glass and carbohydrate (Picture: Getty)

Trump will be accompanied by a motorcade – including the armoured limousine nicknamed ‘The Beast’ – after touching down on UK soil.Weighing in at 20,000 pounds, the newest model – a unique Cadillac – debuted during the first Trump administration in 2018, and is known to be extremely secure – with windows built up with more that five layers of glass and polycarbonate.They can withstand bullets and do not open. In fact, the only window that does open is the driver’s, and by just three inches.As well as the windows, the doors are also bullet-proof. They are armour-plated, more than eight inches thick and fully-sealed to protect those inside from a chemical attack.

Trump waves from his motorcade, as he departs the Trump National Golf Club on September 1, 2025, in Washington, DC (Picture: AFP)

The tyres and shred and puncture resistant, and has steel rims which would enable ‘The Beast’ to escape even if they were somehow damaged.Inside the bodywork – made up of steel, aluminium, titanium and ceramic – are reinforced steel plates, which protects the vehicle from bombs.Other features inside the vehicle include a satellite phone, pump-action shotguns, tear gas cannons, and bags of the president’s Rh-negative blood type on board too.

September 16, 2025 9:42 am First time a leader is granted the privilege of a second state visit more than a century Gergana Krasteva Our politics reporter, Craig Munro, has explained what people should expect from the US president’s state visit in a separate article on the Metro website.This will be the first time a world leader has been granted the privilege of a second state visit in well over a century.That raises a few questions – how similar will this trip be to Trump’s first? Are there any new challenges for police? And will the UK give him a better welcome than in 2019?What to expect from Trump’s UK state visit: schedule, guest list and planned protests

September 16, 2025 9:25 am ‘Very high threat level’ incident Gergana Krasteva

Preparations underway in Windsor (Picture: SWNS)

Police are gearing up for a potential ‘very high threat level’ incident in Windsor ahead of Trump’s arrival.Protests are scheduled for this afternoon, when demonstrators from the Stop Trump Coalition will take to Windsor high street, followed by a march through central London tomorrow, that will end with a mass rally in Parliament Square.As a result, security will be on high alert. Police will patrol Windsor and a temporary order restricting the airspace will ban non-police drones and smaller aircraft from flying through the protected area.Assistant chief constable Christian Bunt, from Thames Valley Police, told reporters on Monday that preparations are under daily review, but had already been set up to deal with a very high threat level because of the nature of the visit.He said: ‘We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations. We’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase.🚨 Our Mounted Section is on patrol in Windsor this week & next for the upcoming state visit of US President Donald Trump.👮‍♀️🐴 Officers & horses will be visible in the town centre, say ‘hello’ if you see them!Follow @ThamesVP for updates. pic.twitter.com/fhpnUMTUHu— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) September 11, 2025‘I am very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen.’Armed officers will be patrolling the streets with armed response vehicles ready to respond in case of increased threat, Thames Valley Police said.The force is deploying drones, horses, dogs and its marine units in the run-up to and during the visit.There will be patrols on the River Thames and searches of the water and riverbanks around Windsor.Officers will have access to a wide range of equipment and weapons, including Tasers, baton guns which propel rubber bullets and shotguns, which are used on dangerous animals.

September 16, 2025 9:07 am What is the schedule for the day? Gergana Krasteva

Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Alaska to meet with Vladimir Putin last month (Picture: Reuters)

Late afternoon: Stop Trump Coalition protest taking place in Windsor8.30pm: Trump’s Air Force One lands at Stansted AirportLate evening: The president and the first lady, Melania, will travel to Windsor where they will be hosted by King Charles and treated to a ceremonial welcome

September 16, 2025 8:54 am Good morning Gergana Krasteva Britain is readying to roll out the red carpet for one of the most closely watched state visits in recent memory, the one of Donald Trump.The US president will land at 8.30pm at Stansted Airport in London today.Follow Metro’s live blog for the latest updated throughout the day – from protests in Windsor to the prep for the State Banquet at Windsor Castle.